Poll: Xbox Live's fall from grace.

[GLo Jones]

This thread was inspired by a small rant I had in Baby Tea [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Baby+Tea]'s thread about dealing with assholes [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.226216-The-Gamers-Corner-with-Baby-Tea-Xbox-LIVE-Etiquette] on Xbox Live. It was fairly off-topic for that thread, but I'd like some feedback, so here we are. Bare in mind, this is just my opinion, but...

I found things were very different when the 360 first came out. There were thousands and thousands of newcomers to the service, all in the same boat. Online lobbies of games like CoD2 and PGR3 were more or less alive with a friendly atmosphere.

Most people had only a few friends to play with online at most, so the majority of games were played purely with strangers, this was the same for most players. Back then, merely having one fun game or conversation with someone was enough to warrant a friend request, and through the positive vibes many groups of 'online friends' formed. These groups would usually have strength of numbers in a lobby, and the positivity of these groups was enough to outnumber and eradicate most of the douchebags, or at least be large enough for those people to not be a bother.

Then something wonderful, and awful happened to the live community... Microsoft introduced the 'Party' system. This was so convenient, because you could talk to all any particular 'friend group' regardless of what game you were all on, and you could easily coordinate fun group sessions. However, this proved to be a fatal blow for the main public chat system in games, and devastating to the community as a whole. Now, all the friend groups that previously controlled the vibe and atmosphere of lobbies were in their own party bubbles, leaving the public chat channels an empty husk.

Imagine a town full of cheerful friends, all enjoying life together. Any misfits, or trouble makers are cheerfully undermined by the majority, and any uncertain newcomers are allowed a friendly place to get their barings on society.
Now imagine all the cheerful friends just DISAPPEARING, leaving the misfits, trouble makers and uncertain newcomers, with maybe some veterans who merely don't have a bubble to inhabit at that moment in time. Without this domintant friendly force, this town soon turns into a dark, creepy, crime-ridden shit-heap, inhabited by annoying pricks, people screaming/singing down the mic relentlessly, with anyone that knows better keeping to themselves (muted mic).

I noticed how Infinity Ward tried to counter this secularism by forcing everyone back into public chat for certain playlists on Modern Warfare 2, but it was too late. Live was overrun by the shit that had been left to fester.

Any newcomers now are immediately met with this ruined form of xbox live. Unless they have friends already on the inside, it's hard for them to find a bubble, and they're left with the impression that live is and always has been terrible.

I weep for you Xbox Live.

Does anyone else remember what I see as the Golden Age for the Live community? Or am I talking out my ass? Are there any better explanations out there? Do I even make any sense?

I tend to be very conservative about where/what I post on the Escapist, and I believe this is my first vent. Be gentle.

Edit: There was a poll. Hmm, it might turn up in a bit.

 

[RedBeta22]

The party chat system really ruined live. I miss the old days.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

I miss the old days too...

It's a shame something so good ruined lobbies.

Maybe me and a few friends should jump back in without party chat when Reach comes out...

 

[Irridium]

Golden age of the Live community? Its always been crappy.

I started playing on it when Halo 2 came out, way back in 2004. And Halo 2 basically turned live into what it is today, or at least heavily influenced it. 6 years, and Xbox Live has always been known for really crappy community.

All the bile and hate from Live can be traced back to Halo 2, which started it all. Well PC games started it, but those have dedicated servers that allow us to ban the assholes. But I digress, in short, Live has always been crappy.

 

[Kialee]

I've always had awful experiences on Xbox Live, so I'm not sure what this "golden age" you refer to is or was.
I muted my mic and sometimes just plain turned voice chat off, and eventually gave up on it entirely.

 

[David Bray]

I quantify Live by the games as multiplayer means nothing to me.

In this vein, Live has continued to get ever better.

 

[Jfswift]

I don't feel like lives changed much at all tbh.

 

[Furious Styles]

I came to it late, after all my friends, so I love the party chat system personally and was unaware of these problems.

Maybe they could just not talk to people while they game.

 

[WilliamRLBaker]

I've been with xbox live since the beta in the beginning of 2002, I've had an account since then...and I don't get what you have such a problem with.

If you have such problems then here's a tip...leave the internet its not xbox live that has these things but the internet and that is simply how its allways been.

there are allways gonna be ass hats, no matter what you do, and party chat is no where near as bad as you make it out to be, I only spend time in a party chat when I absolutely have too, otherwise I'm in public.

I spend far more time in party chat single player games with other single player gamers where we just chat it up about our day or give each other tips about the games we are playing.

 

[RheynbowDash]

There is a certain amount of annonimity when being a douche on XBL. You can be an asshole without any real life retaliation. And most people take this opportunity to exploit that to the fullest. I pay my $60 dollars a year and I shouldnt have to put up with that bullshit.

 

[GLo Jones]

Golden age of the Live community? Its always been crappy.

I started playing on it when Halo 2 came out, and Halo 2 basically turned live into what it is today, or at least heavily influenced it.

All the bile and hate from Live can be traced back to Halo 2, which started it all. Well PC games started it, but those have dedicated servers that allow us to ban the assholes. But I digress, in short, Live has always been crappy.

Granted, Halo 2's community was truly awful. But I found that the vast influx of new blood when the 360 came out put live in a completely new light. I clearly remember going into games fully confident that there would be others on chat that wouldn't insult, annoy, or scream at me.

 

[Vestsao]

I too felt that the party chat implementation ruined certain aspects of XBL, especially the features you mentioned which were one of the basic constituents of the XBL community which really gave it an edge over PSN. Although now PSN has that advantage. The most demeaning part of this for XBL is that PSN hasn't changed at all. Obviously there's a larger amount of users with mics since Sony released the official PS3 mic, but there's still a large demographic of PS3 owners with no mic. It's because of XBL's changes which allowed it's competitor to take the lead with the competitor improving in minimal ways.

 

[Irridium]

Golden age of the Live community? Its always been crappy.

I started playing on it when Halo 2 came out, and Halo 2 basically turned live into what it is today, or at least heavily influenced it.

All the bile and hate from Live can be traced back to Halo 2, which started it all. Well PC games started it, but those have dedicated servers that allow us to ban the assholes. But I digress, in short, Live has always been crappy.

Granted, Halo 2's community was truly awful. But I found that the vast influx of new blood when the 360 came out put live in a completely new light. I clearly remember going into games fully confident that there would be others on chat that wouldn't insult, annoy, or scream at me.

Most of Xbox Live's users played Halo 2. It was basically "the game". And when the 360 came out, all those Halo 2 players played the other games. Different games, same assholes basically, the 360 just brought them into the spotlight.

And as time went on, more people who didn't play Halo 2 came onto live, and usually they turn into one of these assholes over time since they're around them all the time.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

The ONE time I didn't mute everyone on Xbox Live I had to deal with an idiotic 12 year old insulting everyone who killed him. After the game he proceeded to call everybody in the lobby a "jewbag" and promptly left.

Nowadays, in a time where the greater internet fuckward theory has been proven to be true a thousand times over, I simply choose to mute everyone no matter what game except for Team Fortress 2. Everyone who plays that game seems so nice.

 

[ShasoRmyr]

Wait Xbox Live's community was not full of jerks at one point? (not joking)

 

[GLo Jones]

Golden age of the Live community? Its always been crappy.

I started playing on it when Halo 2 came out, and Halo 2 basically turned live into what it is today, or at least heavily influenced it.

All the bile and hate from Live can be traced back to Halo 2, which started it all. Well PC games started it, but those have dedicated servers that allow us to ban the assholes. But I digress, in short, Live has always been crappy.

Granted, Halo 2's community was truly awful. But I found that the vast influx of new blood when the 360 came out put live in a completely new light. I clearly remember going into games fully confident that there would be others on chat that wouldn't insult, annoy, or scream at me.

Most of Xbox Live's users played Halo 2. It was basically "the game". And when the 360 came out, all those Halo 2 players played the other games. Different games, same assholes basically, the 360 just brought them into the spotlight.

And as time went on, more people who didn't play Halo 2 came onto live, and usually they turn into one of these assholes over time since they're around them all the time.

IMO, the newcomers vastly outnumbered Halo 2 assholes. I made a fair number of friends back then that I still play with, and if we all go back into the public chat, and have the majority over the lobby, we can sustain a public lobby much like we used to. If the mood is dominant, and assholes are shot down early on, you can have a great time. The only issue is, not enough people play in public chat anymore, and party chat is just so damn convenient.

 

[Akihiko]

Golden age of the Live community? Its always been crappy.

I started playing on it when Halo 2 came out, way back in 2004. And Halo 2 basically turned live into what it is today, or at least heavily influenced it. 6 years, and Xbox Live has always been known for really crappy community.

All the bile and hate from Live can be traced back to Halo 2, which started it all. Well PC games started it, but those have dedicated servers that allow us to ban the assholes. But I digress, in short, Live has always been crappy.

I'll back this up. I first joined Xbox Live back on the original Xbox when Halo 2 game out. That was pretty much the first and last time I've spent a long amount of time in any online public multiplayer. I played it for hours and hours, and eventually I got to the point I couldn't be bothered with it any more. I tried Project Gotham Racing 3, then later Halo 3 when they came out, and it hadn't changed a bit. Recently went on Public Free Roam on RDR, and I was attempting an achievement, had nearly done it, and some dick joined, killed me without me even doing anything to him, causing me to have to restart. So, even now, it still hasn't changed.

If I ever do multiplayer on any game, then I do it privately with friends, otherwise, I can't be bothered with it. I've better things to do with my time than to get fucked over by assholes.

 

[awsome117]

Eh, I made a lot of friends through Live, and the ones I didn't really were good sports. Of course, some games and gamers were unfriendly and unkind, but for the most part, I enjoyed Xbox live.

 

[GLo Jones]

Wait Xbox Live's community was not full of jerks at one point? (not joking)

It still isn't. It's just that the non-jerks are all in party chat.

 

[Westaway]

I too felt that the party chat implementation ruined certain aspects of XBL, especially the features you mentioned which were one of the basic constituents of the XBL community which really gave it an edge over PSN. Although now PSN has that advantage. The most demeaning part of this for XBL is that PSN hasn't changed at all. Obviously there's a larger amount of users with mics since Sony released the official PS3 mic, but there's still a large demographic of PS3 owners with no mic. It's because of XBL's changes which allowed it's competitor to take the lead with the competitor improving in minimal ways.

I love your avatar because its always looking at wierd shit that is other peoples avatars.

I missed the good ol day. However, I do remember the first conversation I ever had onlive when I was 11. It was halo 3, and I didn't realise people actually talked alot like in Master Chief sucks at Halo. I was so joyfull.